The Guest Book

Hi there, found your web site and how brilliant is it??? absolutely love the live venues spot, and it brought back so many many memories for me, especially the notts palais one, where me and the hubby were regulars. Just to wish you all at Hinckley continued success and if we here in Lincoln can enjoy the length of the time that you have had in keeping the faith, we will be happy, as on the 18th of December we will be celebrating the East Lincoln Soul Clubs 1st anniversary. Many thanks for your time and keep up the excellent web site.

On the surf, late Sat nite came across your site, enjoyed it. I'm the Chair of Seaside Soul Club of Morecambe. We're a bunch of geezers who enjoy the full scope of soul, some Northern some modern. Our venue "Upstairs Downstairs" is only a one floor venue, however we try to hit the spot with each record. I suppose the main reason for sayin Hi is to simply make contact with like minded people close to ourselves. We have Soul Nites approx once a month which are well attended evenings, our website (main site) is to be launched in the next weeks, (current site http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/mhpweekender/index.jhtml) part of our 1st Anniversary celebrations, (Sat 30th September 2004) celebrations that we actually made it through the year considering a few outfits that come in to the area wanting to make a quick bit of coin out of a passion. We're a complete voluntary bunch of 10 with quality soul collections / DJ's within the ranks. So we should converse when im not so arsed. Anyway must shoot to bo bo's as my duties have been requested...

Just listened to Job Opening recorded live at Samantha's nite club in the seventies. I was the DJ spinning the sound. Look closely at the LH Samanthas advert and you'll see the name Howard below John V's name. What an incredible time and venue it was. We ran a superb venue in Sheffield that had a soul club in the week (originally Sunday, later on Wednesday's), with the all-nighter on the Friday. John (who I rated in the top four jocks in the country) gathered an amazing amount of talent for the niters and occasional all-dayer. I suppose we had the best of all worlds with the sophistication of Mecca sounds, and the raw northern beat from the Casino. Main stays in the big room were John, Frank (Ian Dewhurst), originally Twink (from Leeds), later Soul Sam, Paul Rowan (Leeds), with various top guests. I hosted the oldies room( the Hallam suite, later the Mayfair Suite), with various guests including Billy Paul (Wigan), Paul Curzon (Doncaster, Brill British collection), Derek Banner (Mansfield), and Rotherhams Derek Sheldon (named his daughter Sandie!). My apologies to any of the guys who were there and I didn't mention. During the week, John and I hosted a really friendly soul club with regulars coming in from Leeds, Doncaster, Mansfield, Chesterfield with of course the Sheffield locals..all great people..no trouble..many good friends..many happy memories. John Vincent has been running some excellent gigs in recent years, and has even dragged me and the ol' plastic disc's (vinyl/acetate really) out for several spots. Still amazed at the demand after all these years. For interest, John is organising an all-nighter in the original venue on Sat 23rd October and this should be an amazing re-union for many of us. He also runs regular monthly gigs in Sheffield and we had some great nites down there, quality sounds, with some really rare records on display. Enjoyed your web-site immensely.

I had to drop you a note...What a great website. I don't quite have your pedigree coz I was a bit late into Northern in 1975. I was only 14 and very tall for my age but I used to blag my way into Tiffany's, Long Lane, Halesowen with my elder sister and her crowd. I first visited Blackpool Mecca in 1975 or was it 1976 to see The Miracles who were just having a hit with "Love Machine" but never did get to any of the "great" venues (Casino, Torch etc). Consequently, I am more of a Levine disciple (Evelyn Thomas, L J Johnson etc) than a stomper fan though I don't suppose it is such an issue either way any more. My fave is still "You don't love me"-The Epitome of Sound though "I'm on my way"-Dean Parrish, "Hung up on your love"-The Montclairs and a track I half remember called "Seven day lover" are right up there too. I have forwarded this to my sis in the States just to make her feel old...it worked and she has forwarded it to some of her old pals too. She reckons that some of the faces are familiar and after laughing at some of the clothes, I had to remind her that some of her own fashion statements were a bit dodgy at the time. I will try to get over to one of your events...trouble is I don't think that 16 stone will squeeze into 28" waist Oxford bags anymore.

Thanks for putting my fave tunes up on the excellent website. I read with interest about the Clarendon Club on Sunday nites will have to call in sometime. Trouble is, I've felt a bit isolated down here in Warwick from a soul point of view. The 'poor' Girlfriend gets dragged along to soulnites when I go back up north to Burnley, but she's not into northern - will listen to motown though like most. Anyhow, I don't know another soulie in the area, and it would be nice to meet some.

Great Website. FYI, There is a Catacombs Reunion this Saturday at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.